Kiren Rijiju at Daulatabad Fort in Sambhajinagar on Monday. (x)
Kiren Rijiju, the Union minister for parliamentary affairs and minority affairs, is not only the tribal face of the Modi 3.0 government, but also the only Buddhist face at the Centre.
The frequent visits of Kiren Rijiju, the Union minister for parliamentary affairs and minority affairs, to poll-bound Maharashtra are part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) strategy.
The Marathi Buddhist community accounts for nearly 6-7% of the votes in the state and is an important segment that the BJP wants ahead of the elections. Rijiju is not only the tribal face of the Modi 3.0 government, but also the only Buddhist face at the Centre. The party wants to use him to gain support from the Marathi Buddhist population in the western states.
It is said that Rijiju has held more than a hundred meetings across the country, met with important leaders from the community and also held group meetings with supporters.
During the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Dalits left the BJP, fearing that if they come to power with a majority, they will change the Constitution and take away the rights of Dalits. A total of 48 such organizations have sent out advice to people to vote against the BJP-led alliance.
Visit the place where Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar was convicted in Daulatabad Fort. In 1934, Dr. Ambedkar along with his friends while visiting Ajanta Buddha Cave also wanted to see Daulatabad Fort in Sambhajinagar. In his book ‘Waiting For Visa’ he wrote – “The month is Ramjan, … pic.twitter.com/mPjyYpnIVw— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) October 14, 2024
WOOING Buddha
On Sunday, the Union minister attended the Bodhi Tree 2024 Grand Ceremony at Buddha Smarak, Trirashmi Buddha Cave in Nashik. “This gathering is a celebration of the Buddha’s eternal teachings. The Bodhi Tree is a symbol of hope, reminding us to seek inner peace and give compassion to all beings. I offer my prayers to Lord Buddha and respect Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar ji. The calm atmosphere of Smarak Buddha highlights the importance of peace, compassion and unity in our lives. Lord Buddha’s message continues to guide us to create a harmonious society based on love and understanding. Let us all be inspired by his wisdom, work together to foster unity and empathy in our communities,” Rijiju said at X.
Rijiju further said, “The government’s commitment can be gauged from the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking from a platform like the UN, said that India has given the world Buddha and not Yudha (Buddha is not war).”
Every Buddhist, in his age, wants to visit the interesting places associated with the birthplace of Buddha in India. Locations such as Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Lumbini, Kushinagar are very interesting.
The minister also stated that the establishment of an international airport at Kushinagar and continuous efforts to develop Sarnath and Bodh Gaya are part of the government’s commitment. He even later told people that the Maharashtra government had been instrumental in initiating the conversion of Dr Ambedkar’s house in London into a museum.
Visit the historic house that used to be used by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Also visited Babasaheb’s place for food after traveling in Sambhajinagar. pic.twitter.com/vu5OHFPzvH— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) October 13, 2024
WOOING DALITS
Apart from this, the Union minister also frequently visited various places in Maharashtra associated with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, including his residence in Sambhajinagar.
Attacking the opposition, especially the Congress, which has highlighted the Constitution, Rijiju warned the people of Maharashtra not to fall victim to the scheme. “People who insult Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, destroy the basic structure of the Constitution of India and impose Emergency should not talk about the Constitution and Babasaheb,” Rijiju said recently during a visit to Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur.
The Union Minister has also highlighted the welfare of various communities, especially Dalits, by the Center by recently giving the status of classical language to Marathi, which has been long-awaited, and also to Pali, which is sacred to Buddha. In Pali, the Buddha preached.
During his visit to the country on October 5, a group of members of the Bhikkhu Sangha met to congratulate PM Modi for making Pali a classical language. As a token of appreciation, he even recited some verses in Pali.
In fact, during his recent visit to Laos, the Prime Minister met Buddhist monks and received their blessings.
